Are 'posh' names becoming fashionable?

[tammytoby]

Lots of names that were considered 'posh' a few years ago, e.g. Hugo, Sebastian, Aurelia, Arabella, are now considered 'lovely'. Is this inevitable, as names 'move down' the ranks, as suggested in Freakonomics?

Yes, seems like it. Haven't read Freakonomics, but even names like Harriet and Olivia were once considered 'posh'. Certainly on mumsnet names like Hugo, Tristan, Quentin, Seraphina and Clementine seem popular these days.

FWIW (not British after all..), I believe it goes the other way around:
the name becomes popular among the "upper-class", then people hear it and get used to it and finally choose it for their child, regardless of which "class" they live in. Hence the name "moving down" the ranks.
I think it is a good thing! Only in Britain have I heard "I love it but it is a bit posh for us", this is not the case in the US or in France.

I too think it is a good thing - a lot of the names that are considered 'posh' are beautiful, classy and elegant! Why shouldn't we all get to use them ?

I don't think all posh names move down the ranks but some certainly do. The are so many oscars and Olivias around now, they've totally lost their poshness!

Yes, names do move down the ranks.

I like "posh" names and therefore can tell you what names will become popular.

Still waiting for Elsie and Genevieve to hit the charts, but was right up there with Ruby and Hugo.

I think it probably is the case in US (isn't that where Freakonomics originated?) and the BCBG bits of France.

In UK, though, the truly posh go for very solid, traditional names; and then have outlandish nns.

Yes the phenomenon must exist to some extent pretty much everywhere. My point was that a name being labelled as posh does not prevent people from using it if they like it in France (I know several Quitterie, Sixtine, Enguerrand, Charles..etc with absolutely not posh parents). I feel that the obligation to find a name that would "fit in the parents' society" is very specific to the UK.

..(pressed "post" too quickly)

I believe Sophie and Margot are a good example also for the US: for a long time they were very "East Coast-WASP-doctors/lawyers' daughters" but at the same time they were quite a lot of them in the South and in NY. Today, it is still labelled as a bit snobbish but Sophie is already in the US top 5 and my guess is that Margot will become very popular in the next 10 years.

So which other names used to be 'posh' but are no longer so?
Sebastian? Quentin? Winston?
Octavia? Arabella? Marianne?

Ruby has only ever been a scullery maid's name. Nothing wrong with it; just not posh.

I find it very hard to think of Olivia as posh.

I dunno. I have been reading a book set it in upper middle class circles in the 18th Century and the men have all sorts of outlandish names. Nothing like what we'd consider 'posh' now.

I think names do tend to move 'downmarket'. About 5 years ago most mumsnetters would have considered Cassius, Sebastian, Quentin, Hugo or even Theodore quite posh. Or for girlss Olivia, Annabel and Octavia.

I also know a few non-posh Ruperts, Edmunds, Antonias and even a Augustus (although he's known as Gus).

I guess the more people use a name, the more 'normal' it becomes. Similarly, as names get overused they can end up at the other end and start sounding common.

Peregrine hasn't filtered down yet. I think it's being safeguarded in a safe at Coutt's.

Yes, Peregrine sounds very 'grand', doesn't it? Although Perry might work?

Even Henry and Harriet were considered 'posh' not too long ago.... hard to imagine now.

I think it takes just one/two 'non-posh' people to make a name normal - our associations change pretty quickly.

Absolutely. And the only way to change associations is for more people to use a name.

We should be more encouraging of different names on mumsnet, rather reinforcing the stereotypes as in "don't choose X unless your kids go to private school". Kids couldn't care less (and don't even understand) whether a name is regarded as chav or posh (as some mumsnetters seem so hung on).

Our ds has a name sometimes described as 'posh' but we've only ever had positive comments about it. He's happy and popular at his primary school and loves his name (and unusual initial), but I'm happy for so called 'posh' names (which seems a very British obsession, we're not British!) to be seen more favourably .

Going by the Hugo vs Freddie thread, yes!

I still think of Henry as posh.

But Henry & Harruet weren't posh 100 years ago. They were ordinary.